Golf-ball-cleaning device.



H. WOODWARD.

GOLF BALL CLEANING DEVICE.

APPLoATIoN FILED ooTso. 190e.`

l 'il irs HU WOODWARD, OF KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE.

GOLE-BALL-CLEANING DEVICE.

` Specification of Letters Patent.

Pat-@atea Juiy a0, iene;

ppliaon filed October 30, 1908. Serial N0. 460,326.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HU 'Woonnxinm of Knoxville, Tennessee, have invented a new and useful Golf- Bill Cleaning Device, which invention is fully set forth in the following specifica tion.

This invention relates to golf-ball cleaners, and more particularly to devices designed to wash golf-balls that have beconic soiled by use.

Theobjeet ot the invention is to provide a device of this eharau-ter which `shall be strong and eliicient in (nier-ationrwhich can be inanufac'tured at ininiinuni cost, and 'which can be readily operated not only by intelligent players, but by the less intelligent caddics and others'einployed about a golf-course.

'ith this object in vieiv,'the invention eonsistsot a suitable rece itaclc 'or containing the cleaning iuid, sulch as ivater, coinbined with revolving ineaus mounted in the reeeptacleso as to coinev in contact with the water, which means shall act automatically to grasp and clean the ball ivithout any nianipulation thereof by the operator.

The inventive idea involved is capable ot receiving a variety of mechanical. expressions, one of which for the purpose oi illus- "trating' the invention, is shoivn in the accoinpanying drawing; it is to be understood, however, that said drawings are for the purpose ot' illustration only, and not for the purpose of defining the limits ot the inveiition, reference being had to theclainis for that purpose. y

n-said drawings-Figure 1 is a transverse section'taken on a plane just outside of the" driving shaft, and Fig. 2 is a horizontal sec tion taken on the plane just above the drivH ing shaft, the cleaning devices proper being shown-however in full lines.

Referring to the drawings, in ivhich'like numerals indicate corresponding parts, 1 is a. suitable receptacle for retaining the cleaning fluid, preferably Water, said receptacle having the vertical Walls 2 and the doivnvaardly inclined Walls 3, preferably in the form of aninverted cone, constituting thebottoniof the device, `which, at its loiver extremity, is provided with an openino, here shoivn as a neck orspout 4, ivith any suitable closure 5. The receptacle is also provided with a cover 6 forv the entire receptacle, in 1which cover there is provided an opening (shown in dotted lines, Fig. 1), which opening is preferably in the center of the cover .to facilitate the readyass nolageand dis- `paits,\that is, a bottoni portion and a cap or cover portion, as will be` readily understood from an inspection por the drawings,

assemblage of the parts Preferably Said boxes 9, 10 and 11 are equildistant from each other and the box 9 has a portion 12 extending outward through the walls of the receptacle 1, which orins a part or continuation ot the bearing in said box for the driving shaft 13 ivhose other end takes bearing in the bearing-box 10. The shaft is provided with any suitable ineans for supplying power thereto, as forI example the crank-shaft and handle 14.. Keyed to one end ot the shaft 3 is a large bevel-gear 15 meshing with a. smaller bevel-gear 16 on shaft 17, which has, near its other end, a sinall bevel-gear 1'9 meshing with a vbevel-gear 19 carried on stub-shaft 20, which also takes Abearing in the bearing-box 11. This bevelgear 19 also meshes with a large bevel-gear 21 keyed to shaft 22 having bearing in the boxes 9 and 11.

Suitabiy fixed to shafts 13, 17 and 22 are the cleaning-devices proper, here shown as in the torniot brushes 23, 24- and 25, ,though any other suitable forni ot revolving clear. ingdevices may be substituted tor the.

brushes.

There is suitably supported Withinthe re- 7 ceptacle, and as here shown at the center of the triangle formed by the shafts 13, `17, 22, a ball-support or pocket 26; As here shown, this ball-support is carried by three arms 27, 28A and 29, depending .from the cover 6 and meet at their central portions at a point approximately vin' this vhorizontal plane extendingl through the axes of the three brushes or cleaning devices. This support may be formed in other Ways, ifdesired, but the construction above described is eiheient and-is readily provided. by striking down portions of the'inetal from thecovei 6.

By' an inspection ot thdrawings it will 'be seen that When Athe cranklshaft 13 is turned in the direction indicated by the arrow, Fig. 2, the brushes or cleaningldevi'ces 23,24, wil-l be caused to revolve inward and downward, while the brushvor cleaningfdevice 25 Will be causedtd revolve upwardd to pi outward, the brushes 23 and 25 moving slower than the brush 24.

The operation of the device is as follows: The receptacle being supplied with a suitable cleaning iiuid, as iv ater, and the cover 6 being in place, the operator raises the door I and lays the golf-ball on the three brushes immediately over the center of the support 25., and the crank-shaft being revolved in the direction indicated by the arrow in FigB 2, the bail is acted upon the brushes 23, 24 in a direction to force the ball down onto the support 26, while the brush 25 has a tendency to lift the ball from said support. 'l`he combined action o' theY two brushes 23 and 2'being greater than that of the brush 25 the ball is carried down .in the pocket or support and, by reason of the fact that the brushes are wet by the Water or other cleaning-fluid, they all three have a scraping or cleaning action uponthe surface of the ball. In addition to this, the brush 25 has a tendency to revolve and turn the ball, so that, after the crank-shaft has been revolved a number of times, the ball has been turned so n .l `ooiiits on its surface to the action .zj tli cleaning-devices or brushes. This having been accomplished, the operator reverses the movement of the crank-shaft, when the brushes 23, 2e promptly act to eject the ball or lift it upward so that it may be removed by the operator.

lV hen the water or cleaning-fluid in the receptacle has become foul or dirty, it may be readily emptied by removing the closure 5, Preferably the receptacle l will be constructed of some non-corrosive metal, as aluminum, though it may be constructed of any material suitable for this purpose, and, while, `as here shown, the shafting and boxes for the same are mounted upon the walls of the receptacle, they may be mounted upon any suitable support, the essential feature being that there shall be a vplurality of revolving cleaning-devices which act to retain and clean the ball by reason of differential action upon the ball during the cleanoperation. Dimensions of parts and materials of construction are not essential.,

they may be varied within wide limitsy without departing from the invention.

l ving; thus described the invention, what claimed is:

i. ln a cleaning; device for golf-balls, the

` combiniuion of a receptacle adapted to contain `a cleaning-finiti, a plurality. of revolving' ballcleaiicrs mounted to'dip in said (luid, and a ball-support vbetween said clcaiicis.

ln a cleaning device for golf-balls, the combination of a receptacle adapted to contain a cleansing-fluid, a ball-support within said .receptaclq and a plurality of ballcleaiicis revolving in one direction and another ballcleaner revolving in the reverse direction.

3. ln a cleaning device' for golf-balls, the combination of a receptacle adapted to contain a cleansinghuid, a cover or closure therefor, a ball-support within said receptacle, and a plurality of revolublc brushes symmetrically arranged around said suport.

4. ln a cleaning device for golfballs, the combination ot' a receptacle adapted to contain a cleansing-iiuid, a cover or closure therefor, a ball-support within said receptacle, an opening in said cover over said support, and a plurality of revoluble brushes symmetrically arranged around said suport.

5. ln a cleaning device for golf-balls, the combination of a receptacle adapted to contain a cleansing-fluid, bearings mounted on the inner falls of said receptacle, a plurality of shafts (one of which is a driving shaft) turning in said bearings, a ballsupport within said receptacle, and a lurality of brushes carried by said shafts in proximity to said support. A

(i. In a cleaning device for golf-balls, the combination of a receptacle adapted to contain a cleansingdiuid, a plurality of shafts mounted to turn within the receptacle at different speeds, a ball-sup ort, and ballcleaners mounted on said sha ts in proximity to said support.

7. In a cleaning-device for colf-balls, the combina-lion of a receptacle adDapted to contain a cleansing-fluid, a plurality of ballcleaners mounted to revolve Within said receptacle, a cover or closure for said receplublc ball-cleaner mounted in said receptacle,

a second ball-cleaner mounted to revolve in said receptacle in the same direction as, but at a different speed from, said first cleaner, and a third ball-cleaner mounted to revolve .in a different direction from said first two cleaners. f, e

ln testimony whereof l have signed this spccitication in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HU WOODWARD. vWitnesses i S. T. CAMERON, R. P. Frrzi-IUGH. 

